2017 May GBC monthly meeting announcement

NEXT GBC MEETING ON

TUESDAY, 5/09/17

South End Technology Center

359 Columbus Av., South End, Boston

(Around the corner from Back Bay T Station and a parking lot-$10)

7-9 PM

I apologize for taking so much time to send out this proposed agenda. I want to thank John for sending out the minutes, which was helpful in creating this agenda. I also want to thank Matt for sending me some excellent ideas.

We have an extremely busy agenda. Please arrive about 10 minutes early if you can. The meeting will start at exactly 7 PM.

Please let us know if you need special accommodations to attend the meeting.

According to the GBC by-laws, IVF: F. “Participants in meetings of the GBC are expected to treat each other with civility and consideration. Persons who violate this standard may be asked to remain silent and /or leave the meeting by a 75% vote of the other attending members.”

4. The facilitator will practice a progressive stack to encourage women, people of color, and anyone who has not already spoken to speak, and have an equal voice.

Quick Items at the Beginning of the Meeting (7:10-7:20)

Approve the Agenda

Select a Facilitator, Recorder and Timekeeper for the meeting

Approval Minutes of 4/11/17 Meeting

Reports/Next Steps (7:20-8:00)

Reports of our efforts to support the immigrant (our new neighbors) communities

Sanctuary Movement (including Safe Communities Act, May Day Demo and “May Day Meet Up for Movement Unity”)

Discussion: What should be the role of the GBC and GRP in the Sanctuary Movement?

Mel King’s book, “Chain of Change”-event at NU on June 20 (Details and the role of our chapter in publicizing this event)

Public Bank Report and next steps

GRP State Convention on May 13

Emergency Proposal from Mike: Confronting the Alt-Right-Invitation Below (Do we want to get involved? Attend the Emergency Meeting on Wednesday? Encourage GBC members who will not be attending the GRP Convention to attend the demo on Saturday?) (8:00-8:20)

We are writing to ask you to join us in sending a clear message that hate has no place in Boston!

On May 13th, Alt-Right forces have called a rally and march in Boston that they are billing as a "Free Speech" rally. However, the call on this website invites neo-Nazi's to the demonstration, advising their side to dress like "normies." Their plan is to rally and march on the Freedom Trail, but their claim for freedom and free speech are entirely hypocritical when what they want to do is instigate violence and attack the rights of oppressed people.

Their rally will create a climate of hate in our city and we don't want people to live in fear of being Muslim, immigrant, Black, Brown, Asian, LGBTQ or any number of other people who are threatened. Recent racist attacks at a Red Sox game against African-American Orioles player Adam Jones are the latest example of an escalation of threats against our side in the city of Boston.

We think these neo-Nazis and reactionaries should be publicly opposed with a non-violent mass mobilization on the same date and time as their rally. If they are allowed to go unchallenged, there is real danger that they will grow in confidence and in their attempt to appear legitimate. Exactly what kind of a non-violent counter-demonstration our side organizes should be democratically decided through an organizing meeting that's open to anyone who wants to voice their opposition to these neo-Nazis.

A similar rally called by Alt-Right forces at UC Berkeley last month physically attacked activists, and now they feel emboldened to call this rally in Boston as the next one of many. Unfortunately, left-wing activists took the bait at UC Berkeley when they were violently provoked. We don't think that small numbers engaged in street battles with these goons are effective means to stop their far-right politics. Rather, we need to bring out our side in as large numbers as possible to non-violently drown out their hateful voices and publicly demoralize them in order to demobilize them.

We cannot allow reactionary politics to be the order of the day in our town! Our strength lies in our solidarity and in our numbers!

A. Strong efforts will be made to encourage diversity in the selection of officers.

B. Officers will include:

1. Female and Male Co-Chairs

2. Treasurer, Secretary, or combination thereof

3. Any other officers the chapter chooses to select

C. The duties and responsibilities of each officer will be determined before the election.

D. Efforts will be made to rotate tasks (facilitators of the meetings, recorders, timekeepers, etc.)

E. Length of term, not to exceed one year, will be determined for each office before the election. Officers may be elected for two consecutive terms.

F. Officers can be recalled at any meeting, following giving the officer an opportunity to respond in executive session to concerns or charges. A vote of at least 2/3rds of those present is necessary to remove an officer.

2.History of the Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party was explained by Elie Yarden with the emphasis that the party is based on pragmatic approach to current day issues vs. and idealistic approach.

3.Discussion conducted re: direction of the party and means fo determining which of many issues should receive our support. Many issues were raised, but few conclusions were arrived at. Following is a listing of the multiple issues raised.

Promotional efforts: Green-Rainbow Party flyers are available on the WEB site, reach out to Farmers’ Markets, addressing the issues of “Just Cause Evictions”, addressing the housing crisis in Boston, rank choice voting, term limits legislation, use of local discussion groups as both a forum for action and learning more about the GRP, creating public awareness re: identifying who gains and who loses re: any particular issue and going public by naming names

Other issues included:

i.Tax Day demonstration. Dan suggests that to expand our community efforts and recruitment we should be at as many of these demonstration as possible. Jebn and Chris will help staff a GRP table at the April 15 Tax Day demonstration on Cambridge Commons.

ii.May 1st demonstrations. Matt shared details about the plans for May 1. The emphasis will be on immigrant rights. At 12 noon there will be a State House rally. At 3:00 to 4:00 pm a walk from East Boston to Chelsea in support of immigrant rights. %:00 p.m. rally on Boston Commons and afterwards, a meeting at unity meeting at Tent City with Jill Stein in attendance.

iii.May 7 Walk for Hunger: The group voted to pamphlet the event explaining Raytheon’s role in providing funding for the Walk while at the same time being a major recipient of Federal dollars to support the military adventurism of our destructive foreign policy. It is these military budget dollars that are being taken by the government away from the social safety net that is now crumbling.

David will prepare a pamphlet for distribution. We may possibly engage with other groups around the Raytheon issue and perhaps develop a press release.

iv.Other issues: national issues such as closing the “School of Americas”, planned meetings with the Cambridge Police Department re: immigrant protections, need for tech people to advance our skills in using social networking etc.

v.Public Banking legislative proposal: House Bill 934 calls for a commission to study the feasibility of a Massachusetts public bank to serve the public needs. North Dakota has had a very stable public bank for many years and it has been a stabilizing force for North Dakota economy.

4.On June 20 Northeastern University will host a book signing with Mel King to reintroduce his book:” Chain of Change”

5.May 13 is the statewide GRP convention in Worcester

6. Next meeting: May 9. Initial agenda: Election of of officer for the chapter.

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The Green-Rainbow Party is the Massachusetts affiliate of the Green Party of the United States (MA political designation "J"). It was founded in 2002 through the union of the Massachusetts Green Party and the Rainbow Coalition Party.